The Curious Life of the Spic & Span Dry Cleaners Building Kate Wietor January 11, 2023 The closure of Spic & Span Dry Cleaners at 841 National Road is truly the end of an era. The dry cleaning business and laundromat had a good 95-year run, and saw three generations of family leadership. ...
This Defunct Newspaper Column Will Inspire Your Holiday Baking Kate Wietor December 6, 2022 Let’s go back, way back. Before food blogs, Pinterest boards, and having infinite knowledge at our fingertips at all times. Where were we getting our recipes? We’d probably have a cookbook or two, mayb...
The Time an Eccentric Art Collector Visited Sears Roebuck & Co. in Wheeling Kate Wietor October 18, 2022 When was the last time you had an opportunity to purchase artwork? Living in Wheeling, it’s a pretty easy thing to do. From gallery shows to student art exhibitions to craft fairs, it seems like there is always...
Wheeling’s Sweet Contribution to the Ice Cream Industry Kate Wietor August 22, 2022 These days, it’s easy to get your hands on something cold and sweet. However, 100 years ago if you wanted a fix, you’d have to go to a bar – or a counter, to be more specific. Before the dawn of at-home electri...
Preserve WV AmeriCorps Positions Open in Wheeling – Weelunk’s Outgoing AmeriCorps Member Reflects on Her Experience Kate Wietor August 10, 2022 It’s bittersweet to write this, but my time in Wheeling is coming to a close. Just one year ago, I came to Wheeling to serve as an AmeriCorps member with Wheeling Heritage. I had just graduated from James Madis...
Weird and Wonderful Town Names from Across West Virginia Kate Wietor August 3, 2022 Driving around West Virginia, you’re sure to come across some unique names. Places could be named after families, after far away places, to describe the local conditions, or simply because it sounds nice. Place...
The Triumphant Return of the Son’s of Italy Sausage Sandwich Kate Wietor July 27, 2022 Since 1983, the Upper Ohio Valley Italian Festival has been a late-July staple in Wheeling. Inspired by the West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival in Clarksburg,1 organizers hatched a plan to host an Italian f...
Wheeling’s Cool History of Air Conditioning Kate Wietor July 12, 2022 If you were filling out the 1960 census, you would have been asked questions about freezers, flush toilets, and air conditioning. Today, these objects seem essential to our everyday lives, but the 1960 census r...
These Explosive Regulations Date Back to the 1900s Kate Wietor July 5, 2022 Nights can be noisy in the summer. From wild critters moving about to folks staying out late to take advantage of the nice weather, there are a lot of things that go bump in the night. In the days that lead up ...
This is Why Wheeling’s Juneteenth Celebration is Held at Market Plaza Kate Wietor and Betsy Sweeny June 17, 2022 This weekend, Wheeling will come together as a community to celebrate Juneteenth National Independence Day. Juneteenth, a word created from the combination of June and nineteenth, represents the day (June 19, 1...
Faris and Giesey: A Dynamic Duo Who Made Their Mark on Wheeling Through Architecture Kate Wietor June 13, 2022 Throughout the years, Wheeling has been home to several well-known architects. We've previously covered some of the iconic buildings designed by Charles W. Bates and Edward Bates Franzheim and today two more Wh...
Vintage Gardening Tips from Wheeling’s Past Kate Wietor June 6, 2022 It’s not too late to start a garden this growing season! Yes, some gardeners have been out in their gardens since March, seeding peas, carrots, and arugula, but there’s still plenty of time to get things growin...
Can You Identify These 10 Wheeling Architectural Details? Part 2 Kate Wietor June 3, 2022 Do you remember the photo scavenger hunt we posted last June? We had so much fun scoping out odds and ends to feature, we thought we’d go another round. Like last time, see if you can guess the location of thes...
Why Were There Water Fountains On This Wheeling Monument? Kate Wietor May 27, 2022 There is a secret hiding among the monuments at Heritage Port. Discerning eyes may have noticed that the Riverside Park monument has two half-bowl reservoirs on each side. Looking closer, one will see the metal...
Celebrate Preservation Month With These Five Franzheim Buildings Kate Wietor May 17, 2022 You don’t have to be a student of architecture to appreciate the wealth of historic buildings in Wheeling. While the skyline has changed a bit over the years, many of these gems remain intact and are home to bu...
This Architect Designed Many of Wheeling’s Iconic Buildings Kate Wietor May 16, 2022 What do the Wheeling Clinic, Capitol Theatre, and Twelfth Street Parking Garage have in common? Bricks? Terracotta? Cartouches? Well yes, but in addition, they are three of the many buildings designed by the ar...
The Mystery of Wheeling’s Gambrinus Club Kate Wietor May 10, 2022 Looking through the Ohio County Public Library’s Flickr page is a treat. There are photographs from nearly every era of Wheeling’s history and range from family snapshots to professional portraits to after-disa...
The Rise and Fall of Wheeling’s First Labor Newspaper Kate Wietor May 6, 2022 In the early 1900s, the United States was in the midst of the second industrial revolution. People flocked to cities like Wheeling to find employment in the many mines, mills, and factories. This work held the ...
The Trash and Treasure of Wheeling’s Privies Kate Wietor April 29, 2022 There are many different ways to find windows to the past. Some take advantage of the genealogical resources in the Wheeling Room at the Ohio County Public Library, others may just sit by the river and imagine ...
The Backyard Chicken Keepers of Wheeling’s Past Kate Wietor April 11, 2022 The arrival of spring complicates visits to the feed store. Routine trips to pick up pet food, seeds, or a new pair of pants are suddenly made fraught by the cutest seasonal offering: chickens. The siren song o...
The South Wheeling Woman Who Became A Baseball Legend Kate Wietor April 4, 2022 Rose Gacioch, a groundbreaking athlete from South Wheeling is well known for her time in the All American Girls Baseball League as a member of the Rockford Peaches. Yes, the same team featured in the 1992 film,...
This Whimsical Musician Gives Us A Glimpse Into Wheeling’s Past Kate Wietor March 18, 2022 Wheeling has always had a colorful cast of characters: local celebrities, eccentric businesspeople, infamous persons. They become household names and become part of the local lore. Like friendly ghosts, their e...
Take a Book, Leave a Book, at the Little Libraries Around Town Kate Wietor March 9, 2022 If you’ve been in the lobby of the Artisan Center lately, you may have noticed an old newspaper vending machine, painted blue and filled with books. Wheeling Heritage is one of the latest organizations to parti...
Wheeling’s “Donut Dance” Was Once The Hottest Ticket In Town Kate Wietor February 28, 2022 This time of year, the women of St. Ladislaus parish in South Wheeling would begin gathering ingredients. For their project, they needed approximately 200 pounds of flour, 30 pounds of butter, 45 pounds of suga...
Songs About Wheeling: Part 2 Kate Wietor February 23, 2022 Wheeling has long been a place with a lot going on. Rivers, roads, and railways have allowed folks to both breeze into town as well as venture away with ease. Some songs about West Virginia are well known (look...
Why Was This Danish Immigrant in California Looking for Love in Wheeling? Kate Wietor February 12, 2022 “A SOBER, cultured, industrious merchant of age 40 desires the acquaintance of respectable lady, object marriage. No objection to widow with one or two small children. Must be a lady I can love and respect. I a...
From the Desk of Wheeling Heritage’s AmeriCorps Researcher: Valentine’s Day Edition Kate Wietor February 8, 2022 Ah February, the heart of winter. The weather in Wheeling has been especially brisk this year, with layer after layer of snow blanketing these fair streets. It’s tempting to hunker down and keep your eyes fixed...
The Eccentric Celebration That Honored a Dead Poet Kate Wietor January 25, 2022 On a cold January night in 1900, a crowd of revelers gathered at the Hotel Windsor to toast a dead man.1 These hundred or so people of Scottish extraction were there to celebrate the life and works of Robert Bu...
Meet The Man Who Turns Oglebay’s Waterfall Into Art Kate Wietor January 19, 2022 On just the right winter's day, you may be lucky enough to see the falls at Oglebay turn red, blue, or green when Wheeling resident Rich Greene turns the frozen falls into a temporary work of art. Rich...
QUIZ: Which Song About Wheeling Are You Feeling at the Moment? Kate Wietor January 17, 2022 Everyone needs a song stuck in their head from time to time. We’ve got 10 catchy songs about Wheeling that would also make great ear-worms. Answer these questions to figure out which of these songs about Wheeling is speaking to you at the moment.
From the Desk of Wheeling Heritage’s AmeriCorps Researcher Kate Wietor January 12, 2022 Anyone who knows about Wheeling knows this city is steeped in history. Luckily for those wanting to learn more about the area's rich histstory, there are books, encyclopedia articles, academic papers, oral hist...
The Secret Lives of Wheeling’s Pigeons Kate Wietor January 5, 2022 Pigeons. Doves. Rats with wings. All names for Columba livia— our humble city pigeon. Have you seen the flock of pigeons around town? Sometimes they are on a sunny roof, surveying the scene below. Other times t...
Have You Heard These 10 Songs About Wheeling? Kate Wietor December 23, 2021 Wheeling has long been a place with a lot going on. Rivers, roads, and railways have allowed folks to both breeze into town as well as venture away with ease. Some songs about West Virginia are well known (look...
Did the Term “Charley Horse” Originate in Wheeling? Kate Wietor December 13, 2021 Did you know you can pitch story ideas to us? One reader recently sent us a note about a topic that their family had been pondering: "My family was having a discussion about where the term 'Charley hor...
QUIZ: Which Wheeling Gilded Age Dance Will You Be Attending? Kate Wietor December 6, 2021 Answer these questions to decide which Wheeling dance you would have attended if you were around during the Gilded Age.
Step Back In Time With These Vintage Holiday Shopping Ads Kate Wietor November 26, 2021 The tree at Market Plaza has been lit and the annual Christmas parade has been had - Wheeling’s holiday season is officially underway. If you haven’t already begun hunting for those perfect gifts, now might be ...
Why Were People Selling Their Ashes in 1808? Kate Wietor November 12, 2021 I’ve been spending a lot of time combing through Wheeling’s first newspaper, the Wheeling Repository. While looking for something else entirely, this headline caught my eye: Ashes Wanted. Ashes you say? Why ...
These Vintage Dance Cards Provide a Glimpse Into Wheeling’s Social Scene in the Late-1800s Kate Wietor November 5, 2021 What was your 18th birthday like? Maybe it was a mad dash to the convenience store for lottery tickets. Perhaps for those of you who hit this milestone in the 1970s, it meant buying your first beer. Wh...
Why Were Victorian Wheelingites So Disappointed by This Famous Ghost? Kate Wietor October 27, 2021 Unless you were living under a rock in 1862, you were aware of the ghost that was haunting theatres far and wide. Although this wasn’t quite a “Phantom of the Opera '' situation - this ghost was the cutting edg...
